Comparing Stories Your Shoes versus Flight versus Chemistry :: Doris Lessing Michele Roberts Graham Swift

Explore how conflict between two characters is communicated in the short stories studied. Introduction: The short stories I have chosen to focus on for this essay are ‘Flight’ by Doris Lessing and ‘Your Shoes’ by Michele Roberts. I will briefly refer to a third, Graham Swift’s ‘Chemistry’. I will show the character’s desire for control or continuity which conflicts with the choices or sense of independence of another character also, the theme of the generation gap and imagery, dialogue to convey conflict or a sense of understanding by the characters. Development: In ‘Flight’ the grandfathers character portrays a desire to maintain the continuity of the family by trying to show his control over his daughter, in the text it states that he called his daughter a ‘Liar’, liar. Then you should regret it. Why do you make your girls marry? It’s you who do it. What do you do it for? Why?’ The Grandfather’s is trying to make his daughter feel the guilty one for the family’s split, the loss of all that was dear to them, especially him and now they will all be gone. Only Alice left but, soon to flee the nest, his nest. In ‘Your Shoes’ the mother is still trying to take control of the situation, making excuses for her daughters departure, trying to justify her reasoning by, putting the blame on happenings that where out of her control. The text states, your father didn’t mean it when he told you those things the other night and called you a dirty slut. Both stories are similar with the use of imagery, in ‘Flight’ the grandfather uses a pigeon and in ‘Your Shoes’ the mother uses a pair of new white training shoes (trainers) both symbolising purity, precious and need looking after, taking care of, protecting from the evils of the outside world. But, they are both showing in doing this that they need to be controlled for their own safety, they are still too young to take this journey on their own. Both of these characters are possessive and don't want to let go what is dearest to them. Both characters act more possessive due to previous experiences, the Grandfather has seen other Grandchildren get married and leave home. The mother in Your Shoes continually refers to her troubled childhood where she felt she was ignored. In ‘Flight’, the Grandfather shows his control over the bird by deliberately holding out his wrist for the bird to take flight and then caught it again at the moment it spread its wings.